Index system



H. F. BARKER INDEX SYSTEM Filed Oct. 4, 1950 I Howard F. Barker @@wowzwmy.

atten/mm3 .Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES INDEX SYS'IE'IM.'4

Howard F. Barker, Bualo, N. Y., assigner to Remington Rand Inc., Builalo, N. Y.

Application October 4, 1930. Serial No. 486,489

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in index systems employing either alphabetic or numerical subdivisions for indexing, and particularly to an improvement in these systems wherein each subdivision has a distinctive color to distinguish it from other adjacent subdivisions.

The invention comprehends the provision of a series of colors for individualizing the indexing elements of an alphabetic or numerical indexing system so that the color will facilitate the finding of an indexed element through its relation with the index and will further provide a check against misfiling because the colors function conjointly with the index to provide for the indexing of matter by color.

The invention comprehends other features which are pointed out specifically in the following description and set forth in the claims, directed to the preferred form oi construction, while it is to be understood that various modifications rnay be made in the application of the invention to use with index systems which are comprehended by the scope of the claims.

in the drawing forming part ci this application:-

Fig. l is a perspective of a portion of a filing system showing a sufiicient number ci index guides to illustrate the' invention.

' 3@ Fig. 2 is a disassembled perspective oi a guide card having a major index character, a guide card having a minor index character and an indexed element for illustrating the manner in which the index of this invention is used, one oi the guides having the major and minor indexes applied thereon.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a further application of the invention for indexing purposes.

Fig. d; is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the manner of positioning an indexed element in a similar manner to that illustrated in Fig. 2, using the index shown in Fig. 3.

A plurality of main or primary guide cards 1 are provided with tabs 2 having a series of diiferent index captions 3 forming part of an index system applied to the tabs in the manner illustrated in Fig. l. This provides primary or major sub-divisions of a iile system with the index captions applied tc each tab forming part of a major or primary index system illustrated in tabular form on card l at 4 in Fig. 2.

The indexed files are further sub-divided by a secondary or minor series of guides 5 provided with tabs 6 having index captions 7 applied (Cl. 12S-46.5)

thereto forming a secondary onminor index for the filed or indexed matter. The minor index is illustrated in tabular form on card l at 8 in Fig. 2. The major or primary index as well as the minor or secondary index, may be printed 30 or otherwise applied to the guide cards l and 5 if desired, or they may be applied to separate sheets for use independently of the le as a key element in indexing matter to be filed.

The tabs 6 on each of the secondary guides 5 65 form groups between each primary guide l and are individualized by having each tab of the group provided with a dilerent color so that the color of the respective tabs of each group form a series corresponding to the order or arrangement of colors in the chromatic spectrum or rainbow. This provides a natural progression of colors for the tabs 6 which corresponds with the alphabetic progression of the' index, so that along with the alphabetic progression there' is color 75 progression of a corresponding character whereby the color of any tab will signal the portion of the alphabet forming the secondary index, as the color in the chromatic series and the index caption on the secondary guide correspond.

Each oi the indexed elements, which may be cards or folders as indicated at 9 in Figs. l and 2, a folder being used for the purpose of illustration, is provided with an index tab l0 for receiving the index for the element. The marginal portions of the tabs 10 are provided with a series of colors as indicated at 1l in Figs. l and 2 which correspond to the chromatic series on the tabs 6, the indexed elements or folders having corresponding colors, being led in sub-divisions of 99 the index having corresponding colors on the tabs 6.

The minor index 8 as shown in Fig. 2 is provided with a series of colors corresponding to the chromatic series on the tabs 6 for individualiz- 95 ing the index captions contained in this minor or secondary index.

In ling a folder or indexed element under the name "Adams Drug Co. for example, the index tab of the folder w111 be marked with the name lo@ Adams Drug Co. as shown in Fig. 2 and with the index shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that this indexed element will be positioned behind the Afguide of the primary index and the D" guide oi the secondary index, so that by combining the initial letters A of Adams and D of Drug the position of the indexed element so identified will be indicated by this combination of letters of the index. The position of the indexed element will also be indicated by combining the letter A of the major index as shown at 4 with the individualizing color opposite the letter D in the minor or secondary index as shown in Fig. 2 at 8 indicating the color on 'the folder to be yellow. In indexing this element a folder or card is used having a tab provided with a yellow margin 11 so as to correspond with Vthe yellow characterizing the index D".of the s econdary index as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to locate any indexed e1ement such as the ille for the Adams Drug Cof.' it will be seen that it can be readily determined Where this le is positioned in thev index system by means of the major index element combined with the color designation of the secondary or minor index which provides a more ready method of obtaining access to the le, because the colors are more prominent than the index characters and in addition the 'color extends around the edge of the folders or indexed elements in the manner shown, so that the colors on the edges of the tabs on all indexed elements are immediately visible without separating the les to examine the indexes on the faces of the tabs. In this way the section of the le in which any indexed element is positioned is immediately determined and finding of the file is thus facilitated. In addition, the colored margin on each indexed element provides a means for preventing mis-filing because as soon as any indexed element is positioned out of its normal place in the ille the color on its 'margin will contrast with the other colors of the chromatic series and immediately signal theV improper positioning of the ille without examination of the index tab, and a glance at a whole group of files showing the series of colors arranged in their order as occurring in the chromatic spectrum or rainbow with any one ille out of order will immediately individualize the one misflled so that it will vstand out from the chromatic series by reason of its contrast.

This series of colors arranged in the order of the chromatic spectrum and progressing with the alphabetic index permits the inspection of les in any section of the index at a glance because the position of the color in the chromatic scale immediately indicates the portion of the index which it identifies so that with a name indexed toward the end of the alphabet it is obvious that it would be provided with a color adjacent one end of the spectrum so that it would either be blue or purple according to its nearness to the end of the alphabet.

Where an indexed element carries the name of an individual such as Matthew J. Brown, it obviously, with an index system of the type shown in Fig. 1, will be indexed under the ilrst letter of the surname which is B and the initial letter of the given name which is M and by combining these two letters and inspecting the major or primary index together with the minor or secondary index, it will be found that the le will be located behind the guide with the initial B in the primary series and the guide marked with the initial "M" in the secondary series. The guide M" is individualized by a blue color so that the marginal edge of the'index tab for the element containing this file will have a blue margin. By means of the initial B forming the primary index and the color blue, when a series of illes are observed for the purpose of finding the location of the iile of Matthew J. Brown it is obvious that its position is immediately indicated by the blue secondary index tab following the primary index B and that it is within the group of illes having the blue margins following this blue colored index tab which in the secondary index disclosed in Fig'. 2 follows the/letter M". By the reason of the colored margins on the t-abs it is not necessary to observe the index character but merely to check the color and look at the les with the colored margins to remove the le of Matthew J. Brown. When replacing this indexed element in the le it obviously must be placed in the section having the blue margins on the tabs so that its position is immediately determined by checking the colors in the system which occur in the order found in the spectrum.-

In the illustration shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the indexes are exactly the same as those vshown in Figs. l and2 and in addition tothe structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the index tabs of the primary series indicated at l2- yare colored in accordance with the chromatic scale illustrated by the individualizing colors for the alphabetic indexes as shown in the major index chart at 13 on the main guide card. The secondary index chart 14 on the same card has the alphabetic index characters individualized by colors in exactly the same manner as shown in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 while the index tabs l5 of the f olders or other indexed elements are provided with marginal portions 16 which are colored, and in which the colors are divided into two sections, one section 17 having a color corresponding to the color of the primary index tab while the other section 18 has a color corresponding to the color of the secondary index tab of the group in which it is indexed or located.

The ille of the Adams Drug Co." will then be indicated by the primary index A and the color red, together with the color yellow of the secv ondary index individualizing the letter D so that the iile will be found in the rst section in which the tabs are colored in the section 17 with the color red and the section 18 with the color yellow. The file of Matthew J. Brown will by reason of the letters Br", be found in the third section of the primary index having the color red as shown lby the major index 13 and in the secondary index having the color blue as shown by the secondary index 14 in Fig. 4 so that the marginal strip along the edge of the tab on the indexed element for Matthew J. Brown will be found in the third section of the le having the section 17 colored red and the section 18 colored blue so that the colors individualize the position of this le by which it can be immediately selected from the group of les directly by the color combinations and any mis-filing of such a le willv immediately produce a contrast betweenA the colors of either the section 17 or the section 18 whereby it will stand out boldly in the ille by reason of the colors on the edges of the ille not corresponding. When all of the illes are in their proper position it Willbe readily appreciated that they will present a color progression which corresponds to alphabetical progression and will show a chromatic series corresponding with the series of colors as they occur in the spectrum.

While only ve colors are used to illustrate the features of invention herein disclosed and in the case of the disclosure in Figs. 3 and 4 the colors are duplicated for several different index letters of the primary index it will be readily appreciated that the position of such primary color in combination with the secondary color for indexing is immediately signalled by the alphabetic index of the primary index.

It is to be understood that any type of index guide and tab construction now used and well known in the art, may be used for the purpose of this invention and that any form of index may be employed for subdividing the les that may be desired, the disclosure herein being for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

It is to be also'understood that while the invention is illustrated in conjunction with a primary and secondary alphabetic index system, it may be employed in conjunction with a single set of indexes instead of two sets and that the colors may be used for individualizing nies and providing against mis-filing as well as serving the function of indicating the position of an indexed element in the file independently of other indexes.

What is claimed is:

1. A nling system including a set or" guides having tabs provided with index subdivisions, said tabs being also individualized by a series of colors, and indexed elements individualized by a` series of colors, corresponding with the individualized colors of the tabs indexing said elements said guides having a key color chart applied thereto containing the index system individualized by said colors, whereby the position of any indexed element may be determined from said key chart by the index and the color thereof corresponding to that of said indexed element.

2. A nling system including two sets of guides having tabs in arrangements distinguishable from each other, said tabs having index subdivisions of two dinerent orders thereon, and each set of guides being individualized by a series of colors and adapted to divide a plurality of indexed elements into groups, whereby the group containing an indexed element may be located by combining the individualizing color of one guide of one set with the individualizing color of a guide of the other set, and a plurality of indexed elements divided into groups by said sets of guides and individualized by a series of colors corresponding with the individualized colors of the tabs of both sets of guides indexing said elements.

3. A filing system including a set of guides having tabs provided with alphabetic subdivisions individualized by a series of colors, and holders for indexed matter individualized alphabetically and by colors corresponding to the color ofthe index element with which each is associated', and said guides having a key color chart printed thereon and providing an index having alphabetic nubdivisio'ns corresponding to the subdivisions on said tabs and individualized by a series of colors corresponding to the colors oi' elements divided into groups by said guides and said tabs, whereby the position of a holder for indexed matter may be determined by the key chart by combining the alphabetic subdivision of the index with the individualized color for said subdivision, and the corresponding colors of said indexed holder and its guide.

4. A nling system having two sets of guides provided with tabs bearing alphabetical subdivisions, the tabs of each set being in rows from front to rear, the tabs of one set being offset relative to the tabs of the other set, one set o! tabs being individualized by a series of colors, and having in combination therewith a key color chart printed on said guides to provide a major index and a' .minor index for said sets of guides, each having alphabetical subdivisions, the subdivisions of one index being individualized by a series of colors, whereby the colors facilitate the location of an indexed element in said system. y

5. A ling system including two sets of guides having tabs in arrangements distinguishable from each other, said tabs having alphabetical subdivisions, the alphabet being differently divided for the two sets, one of said sets having the 1 tabs individualized by a series of colors, and having applied thereto a key chart for said system having a major index, and a minor index, each index corresponding with the subdivisions of the tabs of the two sets of units,- the minor index 1 being individualized by a series of colors.

6. A filing system including two sets of guides having tabs in arrangements distinguishable from each other, said tabs having alphabetical subdivisions, the alphabet being diierently divid- 1 ed for each set of tabs, one of said sets of guides having the tabs individualized by a series of colors, and indexed elements individualized by a series of colors corresponding to the colors of the guides by which they are indexed. 1

7. A nling system including primary, secondary and tertiary sets of index elements having tabs in arrangements distinguishable from each other, each set of tabs being provided with index characters to provide primary, secondary andi tertiary sets of indexes to indexed matter, said secondary and tertiary sets of tabs being individualized by corresponding series of colors.

8. A filing system including a plurality of guides having tabs individualized by a series of i alphabetic index subdivisions, a series of indexed having an individualizing index on each element,

and a series of colors individualizing said guides and indexed elements in groups. l.

HOWARD F. BARKER. 

